Sudan hospital worker describes fleeing before alleged massacre | BBC News

Key Concepts

• El Fasher Massacre: Alleged massacre at a hospital in El Fasher, Sudan, involving the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
• Rapid Support Forces (RSF): Paramilitary group involved in the conflict in Sudan.
• War Crimes: Serious violations of the laws and customs applicable in international armed conflict.
• Humanitarian Ceasefire: A temporary suspension of hostilities to allow for the delivery of humanitarian aid.
• The Quad: A mediating group comprising the United States, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates.
• Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC): An independent humanitarian organization providing assistance to refugees and displaced people.

El Fasher Hospital Massacre and RSF Involvement

The report details appalling abuses and crimes committed during the civil war in Sudan, with a specific focus on alleged atrocities in El Fasher, western Darfur. The World Health Organization (WHO) raised an alarm two weeks prior to the report regarding a massacre at a hospital in El Fasher. The city, with over 1 million inhabitants, had been under siege since May of the previous year and was recently overrun by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Evidence of the Massacre:

• Satellite Imagery: Revealed three clusters of white objects and reddish discoloration on the ground outside the hospital, which were not present the day before.
• Eyewitness Accounts:
  • Muhammad: A patient injured by shelling, who managed to flee the city on foot despite a broken leg. He was stopped by the RSF, questioned due to his injury, and told to leave, implying he would die on the road. He stated that many who remained at the Saudi hospital did not survive.
  • Abdul Rabu: A lab technician who worked at the hospital and fled towards the town of Tawila shortly before the paramilitaries arrived. He described feeling "extremely hopeless" and having lost colleagues, likening the loss to losing a "big part of your body or your soul."
• Video Evidence: A video filmed at a university building, which doctors stated was used to treat patients, showed bodies covering the floor and those still alive being shot dead.

RSF Response and Counter-Claims:

The RSF denies there was a massacre. They filmed a video inside the hospital grounds to dispute the claims and stated that doctors were available to treat patients in El Fasher at a different location. They asserted that medical personnel and cadets were not hostages.

Dismissal of RSF Claims:

Doctor's groups dismissed the RSF videos as propaganda. They reported that several senior medics from the Saudi hospital remain missing. One medic's family paid a ransom, and he arrived safely in Tawila. Another was reportedly executed, and there is no information on the remaining four medical personnel.

Displacement and Humanitarian Crisis

• Fleeing El Fasher: Nearly 90,000 people have fled El Fasher so far.
• Survivors' Trauma: For those who escaped, relief is tempered by trauma. One individual expressed no hope of returning to El Fasher after witnessing the events, stating that memories of what happened in front of them would persist.
• Continued Conflict: The battle for El Fasher may be over, but the war in Sudan continues elsewhere.

International Response and Concerns

Yan Egeland, Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC):

• Confirmation of Massacre: Egeland confirmed the horrific massacre in the hospital, stating it is "well documented" with "too many witnesses."
• Wider Atrocities: He emphasized that this was not the only massacre, with armed men reportedly going "house by house, community by community" resulting in many deaths.
• Humanitarian Aid Challenges: The NRC has 35 relief workers in Tawila, where the doctor interviewed fled. However, less than 10,000 people have reached Tawila from El Fasher, indicating tens of thousands remain in "no man's land" or trapped inside El Fasher, where aid workers are prevented from entering by armed men.
• War Crimes Allegations: Egeland stated that these actions constitute "war crimes" and fall under the purview of the United Nations for investigation and accountability. He highlighted the particular protection afforded to civilians, medical professionals, and aid workers, many of whom have been killed.
• Loss of Contact: The NRC has lost contact with all five of its partner organizations inside El Fasher.
• Siege and Prevention: The events in El Fasher were a "countdown" after approximately 500 days of besiegement and "should never have happened. It should have been prevented."
• Humanitarian Ceasefire: Egeland noted that an outcry two weeks prior led the RSF to agree to a humanitarian ceasefire proposed by the Quad (US, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, UAE). However, he stated that "we haven't seen that much of it yet."
• Peace Process: He emphasized that a peace process must begin with a ceasefire.
• Influence on Parties: The Quad and other neighboring countries have influence on the parties involved in the conflict.
• Arms Proliferation: Egeland expressed concern that it has been easier for "warlords to get guns to massacre people than for us to get money for relief for the for their population."
• Situation in Kadukli: He warned of a similar situation unfolding in Kadukli, a large town south of El Fasher, which is also besieged, unless a ceasefire is implemented and pressure is applied to the parties.

Concerns Regarding the United Arab Emirates (UAE):

• Allegations of Support for RSF: The interviewer questioned Egeland about the UAE's role as an "honest broker," citing reports of them supplying support to the RSF.
• Verification Challenges: Egeland acknowledged awareness of these reports from the UN and The New York Times but stated that as unarmed humanitarian workers governed by neutrality, impartiality, and independence, they cannot verify the source of arms.
• Abundant Arms: He observed that all sides have "plenty of arms," and the RSF had no shortage of weapons when they took El Fasher, where thousands may have died.

Call for Continued Reporting:

The report concludes with an emphasis on the importance of continuing to tell these stories.

Synthesis/Conclusion

The YouTube video transcript provides a harrowing account of alleged war crimes and atrocities committed by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in El Fasher, Sudan, particularly focusing on a massacre at a hospital. Evidence presented includes satellite imagery, eyewitness testimonies from a patient and a hospital technician, and video footage depicting the aftermath. The RSF denies these allegations and has presented its own counter-narrative. The report highlights the immense human cost of the conflict, with widespread displacement and trauma among survivors. International bodies like the World Health Organization and humanitarian organizations like the Norwegian Refugee Council are raising alarms and calling for investigations into these alleged war crimes. Concerns are also raised about the ease of arms proliferation and the role of external actors, such as the UAE, in the conflict. The transcript underscores the urgent need for a humanitarian ceasefire and a peace process to prevent further suffering and hold perpetrators accountable.